Toyota announces WRC plans

[Nelly]

Ostberg in the 3rd seat. To drive around and finish 10th

[pantealex]

http://http://yle.fi/urheilu/3-9177081

More from Mäkinen...

- testing on asphalt has NOT been started yet - but will be during September.

- the plan was to start testing on snow in early 2016, but the transmission was delayed and therefore no testing has been done on snowy surface.

- Tommi wants to make the car "attractive" to top-name drivers during 2017 - Tommi says the team wants to be on podium asap in 2017, but admits the year will be spent more or less on learning and developing the car further.

- the cars have now been tested for more than 6000 kms on gravel.

Don´t believe everything what Tommi says
OK, more than 6000km testing is true...

[Fast Eddie WRC]

Ostberg in the 3rd seat. To drive around and finish 10th

If there are 15 new WRC cars that will do... plus he'll find the car's problems if anyone can.

[cali]

If there are 15 new WRC cars that will do... plus he'll find the car's problems if anyone can.

Even if the car does not have any problems

Sent from my ONE E1003 using Tapatalk

[Rally Talent]

The same could have been said about Meeke a couple years back. One of the root causes behind Hänninen's problems in his first WRC entries was that he had little time to accommodate himself with the car and had very little chance to build the car to suit his driving preferences. When he was driving for Skoda for many years he had the chance to build the car to work for him. We all know well that Citroen has done this same with French drivers in the past. Even though there are some really talented young drivers in the series performing really well at times, experience counts when podium placements are shared. I think it's too early to judge any driver, particularly when the car is still under development. Time will tell. I'd really like to see Tidemand driving for Toyota in the 3rd car, however.

Hanninen has had his chances and is not the 'future' of the WRC, he's not even the 'now' of the WRC....

[Simmi]

No issues for me regarding the lineup. The most risky strategy for Toyota would be to employ slower guys who can't extract the performance from the car.

It's clear and now Tommi has confirmed they are essentially trying to lure a big fish for 2018. So if they can show the car is quick and add a year of development then Toyota become a more attractive package for one of the VW guys.

Lappi/Tanak would have been more exciting with Hanninen in the third car but nevermind. Big question for me is how many rounds will that third car do?

[Fast Eddie WRC]

Two cars entry for Toyota confirmed for Monte-Carlo.

[Rally Power]

It seems a wise choice. Why bother to spend millions on a top driver salary if the car and the team are making their first steps?

Besides having a great future ahead of him, Lappi is the right guy to test the car limits at each rally, while Haninen has surely the ability to finish and pick points for the team.

Above all, Makinen is showing a sensible, even humble, approach to the series. Quite different from the Teutonic arrogance we’re used to.

[Rally Power]

No doubt very fast drivers, but equally error prone.

Stefanvv, take a look at Lappi’s record this year. You’ll see that his only driving mistake was in Sweden (still he finished 3rd). In Italy he had a tech problem (suspension failure) and in Poland he hit the same stone that took Tanak’s victory away, finishing 3rd in WRC2. He dominated in Finland and in Germany. It’s a bit unfair to keep saying he’s still an error prone driver.

[OldF]

More ”news”.

PAAVO / PanteAlex‏@PanteAlex
PAAVO / PanteAlex Retweeted Miiro Koivula
And @TGR_WRC Boss Tommi denies " we don't have any deals with 2017 drivers" But admits that team will be at @MondialAuto Paris
PAAVO / PanteAlex added,

Miiro Koivula @MiiroKoivula
#ralli Pari sanaa Toyotan kuskisopimuksista itseltään tallipäällikkö Tommi Mäkiseltä, ihan miehen omalla suulla => http://urheiluuutiset.com/tommi-maki...ajasopimuksia/
9:30 PM - 19 Sep 2016

Google translation from urheiluuutiset

Tommi Mäkinen
https://translate.google.com/transla...a%2F&edit-text=

Esapekka Lappi
https://translate.google.com/transla...a%2F&edit-text=